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I think part of it was the date to withdraw your name from the draft was moved up over a month starting next year. This year guys can get an extra 5 weeks of feedback from NBA teams and might be trying out the process when they usually wouldn't.

In past years, nearly 50 guys have pulled out of the draft, and I don't see why that would change this year. That list will probably change quite a bit by June 15.

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I was assuming we were gonna address the PF/C need via Free Agency since there is alot of depth there. Thus, I stated a true PG at #15 would be nice.

I think Flynn just has that swagger about him, compared to Maynor. Flynn is almost cocky, he feels he's always the best player on the floor. Although I do believe the 2-3 inches in difference between the two is a big deal.

I agree, two midgets in Flynn/Bynum...might be too much. LOL. But, then again...there would be no shortage in heart or desire.

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Since some mocks have us taking Maynor and some have us taking Blair, I thought I would post an interview from each player. I am just listing a few highlights here. Click each link for their full interviews.

EM: Basically with my shooting, I’m trying to get familiar with the NBA three before I go into these camps. I think that would be a good thing.

DX: In the NBA do you see yourself being able to come in and start right away?

EM: That’s my goal. I strive to be the best and I’m never going to settle for anything less than that. I don’t want to be a guy who just goes to the NBA to say that I’m in the NBA. I want to get put in a great situation whether that means backing someone up to begin with or starting. I’m going to work to get playing time though.

DX: At the college level you were a big time scorer from the point guard position. In the NBA, do you see yourself continuing to be a scorer or will you develop as more of a pass first guard?

EM: I think I’m going to establish myself as a pass first guy. You’ve got guys that are all-stars who are putting up 28, 29 points per game. That’s what those guys are paid to do, score. These teams want someone who can get those guys the ball and run a team. They want someone who can get those guys their shots and find them in their sweet spot.

Jonathan Givony: Now that you’re 100 percent in the draft, what are you focusing on most in terms of preparing yourself for the private workouts?

DeJuan Blair: I’m focusing on my quickness and my agility and my jump shot. That’s about it, these things, all my weaknesses, try to power my power, my finesse skills also. So I’m working on a lot of stuff, its going to be a good May for me.

Jonathan Givony: How do you feel about how your rebounding can translate to the NBA level, where everybody is bigger, they’re stronger, they’re longer, they’re quicker, they can jump higher, what are your thoughts on that?

DeJuan Blair: That’s just a bigger challenge you’ve got to step up to. There’s gonna be a lot of big people, a lot of big guys, so I’m just gonna try to keep doing what I was doing. Nobody is gonna stop me from getting the ball, and if they do. I’m going to try harder to go get it. So hopefully I can keep it up in the NBA.

Jonathan Givony: What about your jumpshot? That’s something we didn’t really get to see a lot of in the past two years, do you think that’s going to be something that’ll become a part of your game in the future?

DeJuan Blair: Yeah that’s another thing. Dribbling and my jumpshot, I’m trying to polish all of that. I’m actually working on it right now, and I’m going to be all right around the draft and around the workouts. I just have to keep working at it, and it’ll be where I want it to be.

Jonathan Givony: Do you think your weight is going to be an issue in the NBA over the next few years?

DeJuan Blair: No it’s not. I’m losing all that, I mean that’s what I’m working on now. I’m going to Tampa in the next couple weeks to start on that, and I’m going to be real good by May in Chicago. I’m going to be good.

Jonathan Givony: Where are you at right now, if you don’t mind me asking?

DeJuan Blair: I’m like at 273 or something like that, I wanna get down to about 260, 265. That ain’t nothing. I just have to keep it up.

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I wonder if they package their pick at 15 with their 1st pick in the 2nd round if they can move up into the Top 7-8. That's not a good idea in the NFL, but in the NBA one guy can make a huge difference.

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I think we are in full blown rebuild mode now. So we are looking at multiple drafts to fix our problems. Drafting as low as 15, I would probably go with the BPA strategy.

Can't remember where I read it, might have been Langlois, but it said that the Pistons were more likely to trade out of the first round than to trade up or buy a pick. They value that $1.5M in cap space in order to sign or trade for a player than drafting in the mid first round.

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There have been a lot of changes to the Pre-Draft process over the past few years as more and more top-tier players passed on competing in the traditional five on five camp, making the event almost pointless for most NBA teams.

This year the pre-draft process returns to Chicago with a new name - The NBA Draft Combine 09 - and will feature "light skill drills" and "workouts" and will be completely closed to the media. The NBA will host media sessions at a nearby hotel, but the days of the media being able to give a first-hand recount of how the players looked next to each other are gone. Does anyone else see NBATV programming written all over this?

Another interesting wrinkle is that more time in the two-day "combine" will be allocated for teams to meet with players individually. The word is teams had grown frustrated with the "excuses" given for why certain players would not meet with certain teams; now there is more opportunity for teams to at least get a sit down with a player even if their agents may not want the player in that particular situation.

The NBA Pre-Draft Combine is set for May 28th and May 29th in Chicago, so if you're in the area wondering why Blake Griffin is in town, don't get silly - the Bulls have the 16th pick and won't be trading up.

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Can't remember where I read it, might have been Langlois, but it said that the Pistons were more likely to trade out of the first round than to trade up or buy a pick. They value that $1.5M in cap space in order to sign or trade for a player than drafting in the mid first round.

If they take that attitude, even though it's "seemingly" a weak draft. They might as well shutter the Palace, it will be empty next season.

Good GM's find players and find a way to acuire them. In the NBA, draft choices are cheap, real cheap, plus you control salaries and rights for long periods of time.

Langlois was a hack at the Oakland Press and he is now a paid Pston scribe, to believe him is to believe a GM publicist when they dicsuss the automakers fiscal conditon.

The Pistons need to get younger, more athletic and tougher..if you can't utilize the draft to do that..it's going to be a long few seasons..with a new GM..coach and lots of losing streaks.

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It doesn't bother me that Joe traded down into the 2nd to draft Sharpe... it was the smart play, not necessarily a money play (still got the guy he wanted, a developmental guy that is not under a guaranteed contract (allowing a bit more flexibility in roster), got an extra draft pick, and yes, also saved money).

The key with him is... does he develop into a decent player? Or nothing more than what Amir has shown us so far?

To that end... I do NOT believe Langlois that Dumars will trade out of the #15 pick and into the 2nd. UNLESS his plan is to Sign/ trade for Chandler, Brand, Gordon, Sessions, AND Marvin Williams... and trading Rip/ Prince & our #1 is a part of that...

I think that's a bit much to bite off for Joe D.

Is that even possible, all those moves?

But anyways, back to your point...

I am hoping that if Joe D trades for Chandler, just for example, and has the opportunity to trade for the #3 pick and draft Thabeet... that he is willing to do it. Chandler starts, and Thabeet plays backup, and has time to develop into a real player for the Pistons (both offensively and defensively, with obvious much more work to be done on the "O" side...).

I'm not certain if moves like that fit financially into what Joe will be trying to do... but I absolutely agree with you that youth has to be a part of this makeover, and not just a boatload of retread FA's or trade targets, talented though those FA's or trade targets may be.

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If Sharpe was any type of player, he would have saw minutes this year. As bad as this team was? With no backup at the position he plays? Even the biggest project would get minutes in that situation. Pretty safe to say he will not amount to much.

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If Sharpe was any type of player, he would have saw minutes this year. As bad as this team was? With no backup at the position he plays? Even the biggest project would get minutes in that situation. Pretty safe to say he will not amount to much.

Unless he was so raw that they'd rather give those minutes to Hermann.

I wouldn't read too much into this past year with Sharpe... I think '09-'10 will be much more telling. He either gets playing time, or Joe DFA's him by next year. At least that's what I'm thinking...

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So they would want to give minutes to someone who has no future with this team...

Who's to say he had no future with the team? They signed Hermann because they liked him, and possibly thought he could be a great addition, and get better with the team as well. He doesn't have mountains of experience either...

It appears to have not worked out... but at the end of the season, in a playoff run/ crunch, he's going to get more playing time anyways... unless Sharpe had improved to the point of being better/ more reliable than Hermann... something I don't think we find out until... next year...

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Who's to say he had no future with the team? They signed Hermann because they liked him, and possibly thought he could be a great addition, and get better with the team as well. He doesn't have mountains of experience either...

What on earth are you talking about? Hermann is 30 years old and has played international ball in Europe for years. He played heavy minutes on a gold medal winning team in the Olympics. He has plenty of experience.

It appears to have not worked out... but at the end of the season, in a playoff run/ crunch, he's going to get more playing time anyways... unless Sharpe had improved to the point of being better/ more reliable than Hermann... something I don't think we find out until... next year...

Your argument would hold some water if this was the old Pistons, playing at a high level with dreams of going far in the playoffs. But anyone with two eyes could see this team had nothing at the all star break. So either Sharpe didn't play because he sucks, or management is really inept. Either one is pretty bad in my opinion.

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What on earth are you talking about? Hermann is 30 years old and has played international ball in Europe for years. He played heavy minutes on a gold medal winning team in the Olympics. He has plenty of experience.

Your argument would hold some water if this was the old Pistons, playing at a high level with dreams of going far in the playoffs. But anyone with two eyes could see this team had nothing at the all star break. So either Sharpe didn't play because he sucks, or management is really inept. Either one is pretty bad in my opinion.

I meant in the context of playing in the NBA. It doesn't matter how much international inexperience you have, it still takes some time to get used to playing the NBA game...

The part I highlighted is what fans see. But the coach of a team is ALWAYS going to revert to more experienced veterans when a playoff crunch is on. And despite what you think, we were in a playoff run/ crunch. I don't disagree with your point... I just think that you aren't looking at it from Curry's perspective... he's trying to win games, period. Doesn't matter if the team is dead in the water, we were in a playoff run... period.

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I meant in the context of playing in the NBA. It doesn't matter how much international inexperience you have, it still takes some time to get used to playing the NBA game...

The part I highlighted is what fans see. But the coach of a team is ALWAYS going to revert to more experienced veterans when a playoff crunch is on. And despite what you think, we were in a playoff run/ crunch. I don't disagree with your point... I just think that you aren't looking at it from Curry's perspective... he's trying to win games, period. Doesn't matter if the team is dead in the water, we were in a playoff run... period.

haha no we weren't. To the people who wear rose colored glasses they were. People living in reality knew they had no shot and would have switched gears to get a better draft pick and develop young players. But instead they didn't compete and didn't get better picks/develop younger players. Horrible management all around.